{{Folio 204r}}
¶Here bigynneth the Shipmannes tale
A Marchant whilom / dwelled at Seint Denys That riche was / for which men helde hym wys A wyf he hadde / of excellent beautee And compaignable / and reuelous was she Which is a thyng/ that cau{s}eth moore di{s}pence Than worth / is al the cheere and reuerence That men hem doon / at fe{s}tes and at daunces Swiche salutacions / and contenances Pa{ss}en / as dooth a shadwe vp on the wal But wo is hym / that payen moot for al The sely hou{s}bonde / algate he moot paye He moot vs clothe / and he moot vs arraye Al for his owene wor{s}hip / richely In which array / we dauncen iolily And if |þt| he noght may / |per|auenture Or ellis / li{s}t no swich di{s}pen{s}e endure But thynketh / it is wa{s}ted and ylo{s}t/ Thanne moot another / payen for oure co{s}t/ Or lene vs gold / and that is |per|ilous This noble Marchant/ heeld a worthy hous ffor which / he hadde alday / {s}o greet repair ffor his large{ss}e / and for his wyf was fair That wonder is / but herkneth to my tale Amonges alle hi{s}e ge{s}tes / grete and smale ¶Ther was a Monk/ a fair man and a bold I trowe / a thritty wynter / he was old That euere in oon / was drawyng/ to that place This yonge Monk/ that was {s}o fair of face Aqueynted was so / with the goode man Sith that/ hir fir{s}te knewliche bigan That in his hous / as famulier was he As it is po{ss}ible / any freend to be And for as muchel / as this goode man And eek this Monk / of which |þt| I bigan Were bothe two yborn / in o village The Monk/ hym claymeth / as for co{s}ynage
{{Folio 204v}}
And he agayn / he seith nat ones nay But was as {`,}glad ther of / as fowel of day ffor to his herte / it was a gret ple{s}ance Thus been they knyt/ with eterne alliance And ech of hem / gan oother/ for ta{ss}ure Of bretherhede / whil |þt| hir lyf may dure ¶ffree was daun |Iohan| / and manly of di{s}pence As in that hous / and ful of diligence To doon ple{s}ance / and al{s}o greet co{s}tage He nat forgat/ to yeue the lee{s}te page In al that hous / but after hir degree He yaf the lord / and sith al his meynee Whan |þt| he cam / {s}om manere hone{s}te thyng/ ffor which / they were as glad of his comyng/ As fowel is fayn / whan |þt| the sonne vp ri{s}eth Namoore of this as now / for it suffi{s}eth ¶But {s}o bifel / this Marchant/ on a day Shoop hym / to make redy his array Toward the town of Brugges / for to fare To byen there / a porcion of ware ffor which he hath / to Parys sent anon A me{ss}ager / and preyed hath daun |Iohan| That he sholde come / to Seint Denys and pleye With hym / and with his wyf/ a day or tweye Er he to Brugges wente / in alle wi{s}e ¶This noble Monk/ of which I yow deuy{s}e Hath of his Abbot/ as hym li{s}t licence By cau{s}e he was a man / of heigh prudence And eek an Officer / out for to ryde To {s}een hir granges / and hir bernes wyde And vn to Seint Denys / he comth anon Who was {s}o welcome / as my lord Daun |Iohan| Oure deere co{s}yn / ful of curtei{s}ye With hym broghte he / a Iubbe of Malue{s}ye And eek another/ ful of fyn vernage And volatil / as ay was his v{s}age And thus I lete hem / ete and drynke and pleye This Marchant/ and this Monk / a day or tweye ¶The thridde day / this Marchant vp ari{s}eth And on his nedes / sadly hym auy{s}eth
{{Folio 205r}}
And vp / in to his Countour hous goth he To rekene with hym self / wel may be Of thilke yeer / how |þt| it with hym {s}tood And how |þt| he / de{s}pended hadde his good And if that he / encre{ss}ed were or noon Hi{s}e bokes / and his bagges / many oon He leyth biforn hym / on his Countyng bord fful riche was his tre{s}or / and his hord ffor which ful fa{s}te / his Countour dore he shette And eek he nolde / |þt| no man sholde hym lette Of his acountes / for the mene tyme And thus he sit / til it was pa{ss}ed |pri|me ¶Daun |Iohan| was ri{s}en / in the morwe al{s}o And in the gardyns / walketh to and fro And hath his thynges seyd / ful curtei{s}ly ¶This goode wyf / cam walkyng |pri|uely In to the gardyn / ther he walketh softe And hym salueth / as she hath doon ofte A mayde child / cam in hir compaignye Which as hir li{s}t/ she may gouerne and gye ffor yet/ vnder the yerde was the mayde ¶O deere co{s}yn myn / Daun |Iohan| she sayde What eyleth yow / so rathe for to ry{s}e ¶Nece quod he / it oghte ynow suffi{s}e ffyue houres / for to slepe / vp on a nyght/ But it were / for an old apalled wight/ As been thi{s}e wedded men / |þt| lye and dare As in a forme / sit a wery hare Were al for{s}traught/ |with| houndes grete |&| smale But deere Nece / why be ye so pale I trowe |cer|tes / that oure goode man Hath yow laboured / sith the nyght bigan That yow were nede / to re{s}ten ha{s}tily And with that word / he lough ful myrily And of his owene thoght/ he weex al reed ¶This faire wyf / gan for to shake hir heed And seyde thus / ye god woot al quod she Nay co{s}yn myn / it stant nat {s}o with me ffor by that god / that yaf me soule and lyf In al the Reawme of ffrance / is ther no wyf
{{Folio 205v}}
That la{ss}e lu{s}t hath / to that sory pley ffor I may synge / allas and weilawey That I was born / but to no wight/ quod she Dar I nat telle / how |þt| it stant with me Wher fore I thynke / out of this land to wende Or ellis / of my self / to make an ende So ful am I / of drede/ and eek of care ¶This Monk bigan / vp on this wyf to stare And seyde / allas / my Nece god forbede That ye / for any sorwe / or any drede ffordo your self / but telleth me you|re| grief |per|auenture / I may in youre me{s}chief/ Con{s}eille / or helpe / and therfore telleth me Al youre anoy / for it shal been secree ffor on my Porthors / I make an oth That ne|uer|e in my lif / for lief / or loth Ne shal I / of no con{s}eil / yow biwreye ¶The same agayn to yow / quod she I seye By god / and by this Porthors / I swere Thogh men me wolde / al in to peces tere Ne shal I ne|uer|e / for to gon to helle Biwreye a word / of thyng |þt| ye me telle Nat for no co{s}ynage / ne alliance But verraily / for loue and affiance Thus been they sworn / and her vp on they ke{s}te And ech of hem / tolde oother what hem le{s}te ¶Co{s}yn quod she / if |þt| I hadde a space As I haue noon / and namely in this place Thanne wolde I telle / a legende of my lyf What I haue suffred / sith I was a wyf With myn hou{s}bonde / al be he youre co{s}yn ¶Nay quod this Monk/ by god and Seint Martin He is namore / co{s}yn vn to me Than is this leef/ |þt| hangeth on the tree I clepe hym so / by Seint Denys of ffrance To han / the moore cau{s}e of aqueyntance Of yow / which I haue loued specially Abouen alle wommen / sikerly This swere I yow / on my |pro|fe{ss}io|un| Telleth youre grief / le{s}t |þt| he come adoun
{{Folio 206r}}
And ha{s}teth yow / and goth awey anon ¶My deere loue quod she / o my daun |Iohan| fful lief were me / this con{s}eil for to hyde But out it moot/ I may namoore abyde ¶Myn hou{s}bonde is to me / the wor{s}te man That euere was / sith |þt| the world bigan But sith I am a wyf / it sit nat me To tellen no wight/ of oure |pri|uetee Neither abedde / ne in noon oother place God shilde / I sholde it tellen for his |gra|ce A wyf ne shal nat seyn / of hir hou{s}bonde But al honour / as I kan vnder{s}tonde Saue vn to yow / thus muche I tellen shal As help me god / he is noght worth at al In on degree / the value of a flye But yet/ me greueth moo{s}t his nygardye And wel ye woot/ |þt| wommen naturelly
A womman wolld haueher hu{s}band, to behardye, wy{s}e Ryche,¶No|ta|free, buxom / thatis to {s}aye gentelland to be fre{s}hein bed / the{s}e /{s}yxe things awoman dothede{s}yre as Mr.Chaucer dothe wryte
De{s}iren thynges .vj. as wel as I They wolde / |þt| hir hou{s}bondes sholde be ¶Hardy and wi{s}e / and riche / and ther to free And buxom vn to his wyf / and fre{ss}h abedde But by that ilke lord / that for vs bledde ffor his honour / my self for to arraye A sonday next/ I moot nedes paye An hundred frankes / or ellis am I lorn Yet were me le|uer|e / |þt| I were Vnborn Than me were doon / a sclaundre / or vileynye And if myn hou{s}bonde eek / myghte it e{s}pye I nere but lo{s}t/ and ther fore I yow preye Lene me this s|om|me / or ellis moot I deye Daun |Iohan| I seye / lene me thi{s}e hundred frankes Pardee / I wol noght/ faile yow my thankes If |þt| yow li{s}t/ to doon / that I yow praye ffor at a |cer|teyn day / I wol yow paye And doon to yow / what ple{s}ance and seruy{s}e That I may doon / right as yow li{s}t deuy{s}e And but {.}I{.} do / god take on me vengeance As foul / as e|uer|e hadde Genelo|un| of ffrance ¶This gentil Monk/ an{s}werde in this manere Now trewely / myn owene lady deere I haue quod he / on yow so gret a routhe That I yow swere / and plighte yow my trouthe
{{Folio 206v}}
That whan youre hou{s}bonde / is to fflandres fare I wol deliuere yow / out of this care ffor I wol brynge yow / an hundred frankes And with that word / he caughte hi|re| by the flankes And hi|re| embraceth harde / and ki{s}te hi|re| ofte Goth now youre wey quod he / al {s}tille and softe And lat vs dyne / as {s}oone / as |þt| ye may ffor by my chilyndre / it is Pryme of day Goth now / and beth as trewe as I shal be ¶Now ellis / god forbede sire quod she And forth she goth / as iolif as a pye And bad the Cokes / |þt| they sholde hem hye So |þt| men myghte dyne / and that anon Vp to hir hou{s}bonde / is his wyf ygon And knokketh at his Countour/ boldely
qi la.
¶Who {^}{{ys}} ther quod he / Peter it am I Quod she / what sire / how longe wol ye fa{s}te How longe tyme / wol ye rekene and ca{s}te Youre sommes / and youre bokes / and youre thynges The deuel haue part/ on alle swiche rekenynges Ye haue ynogh pardee / of goddes sonde Com doun to day / and lat youre bagges {s}tonde Ne be ye nat a{s}hamed / that daun |Iohan| Shal fa{s}tynge / al this day elenge gon What lat vs heere a ma{ss}e / and go we dyne ¶Wyf quod this man / litel kan{s}tow deuyne The curious bi{s}yne{ss}e / that we haue ffor of vs chapmen / al{s}o god me {s}aue And by that lord / that clepid is Seint Yue Scar{s}ly amonges .xij. x. shul thryue Continuelly / la{s}tyng vn to oure age We may wel make cheere / and good vi{s}age And dryue forth the world / as it may be And kepen oure e{s}tat/ in pryuetee Til we be dede / or ellis that we pleye A pilgrymage / or goon out of the weye And ther fore / haue I gret nece{ss}itee Vp on this queynte world / tauy{s}e me ffor euere mo / we mote {s}tonde in drede Of hap and ffortune / in oure chapmanhede
{{Folio 207r}}
¶To fflandres wol I go / tomorwe at day And come agayn / as {s}oone as e|uer|e I may ffor which my deere wyf / I thee bi{s}eke As be to euery wight/ buxom and meke And for to kepe oure good / be curious And hone{s}tly / gouerne wel oure hous Thow ha{s}t ynow / in euery mane|re| wi{s}e That to a thrifty hou{s}hold / may suffi{s}e Thee lakketh noon array / ne no vitaille Of siluer in thy purs / shaltow nat faille And with that word / his Countour dore he shette And doun he goth / no lenger wolde he lette But ha{s}tily / a ma{ss}e was ther seyd And spedily / the tables were yleyd And to the dyner / fa{s}te they hem spedde And richely this Monk/ the chapman fedde ¶At after dyner / daun |Iohan| sobrely This chapman took a part/ and |pri|uely He seyde hym thus / co{s}yn it standeth so That wel I se / to Brugges wol ye go God and Seint Au{s}tyn / spede yow and gyde I pray yow co{s}yn / wy{s}ly |þt| ye ryde Gouerneth yow al{s}o / of youre diete Atemprely / and namely / in this hete Bitwix vs two / nedeth no strange fare ffarewel co{s}yn / god shilde yow fro care And if |þt| any thyng/ by day or nyght If it lye in my power/ and my myght/ That ye me wol comande / in any wi{s}e It shal be doon / right as ye wol deuy{s}e ¶O thyng er |þt| ye goon / if it may be I wold {`,}preye yow / for to lene me An hundred frankes / for a wyke or tweye ffor |cer|teyn be{s}tes / |þt| I mo{s}te beye To store with a place / that is oures God help me so / I wolde it were youres I shal nat faille / {s}eurely of my day Nat for a thou{s}and frankes / a myle way But lat this thyng be secree / I yow preye ffor yet to nyght/ thi{s}e be{s}tes moot I beye
{{Folio 207v}}
And fare now wel / myn owene co{s}yn deere Grant |mer|cy / of youre co{s}t/ and of youre cheere ¶This noble Marchant/ gentilly anon An{s}werde and seyde / o co{s}yn myn daun |Iohan| Now sikerly / this is a smal reque{s}te My gold is youres / whan |þt| it yow le{s}te And nat oonly my gold / but my chaffare Tak what yow li{s}t/ god shilde |þt| ye spare But o thyng is / ye knowe it wel ynow Of Chapmen / that hir moneye is hir plow We may creance / whil we han a name But goldlees for to been / it is no game Pay it agayn / whan it lyth in youre e{s}e After my myght/ ful fayn wol I yow ple{s}e ¶Thi{s}e hundred frankes / he fette forth anon And |pri|uely / he took hem to daun |Iohan| No wight in al this world / wi{s}te of this lone Sauyng/ this Marchant/ and daun |Iohan| allone They drynke / and speke / and rome a while |&| pleye Til that daun |Iohan| / rideth to his Abbeye ¶The morwe cam / and forth this Marchant rydeth To fflandres ward / his Prentys wel hym gydeth Til he cam / in to Brugges murily Now goth this Marchant/ fa{s}te and bi{s}ily Aboute his nede / and byeth and crea|un|ceth He neither / pleyeth at the dees / ne daunceth But as a Marchant/ shortly for to telle He let his lyf / and ther I lete hym dwelle ¶The sonday next / the Marchant was agon To Seint denys / ycomen is daun |Iohan| With crowne and berd / al fre{ss}h |&| newe shaue In al the hous / ther nas {s}o litel a knaue Ne no wight ellis / |þt| he nas ful fayn That my lord daun |Iohan| / was come agayn And shortly / to the poynt/ right for to gon This faire wyf/ acorded with daun |Iohan| That for thi{s}e hundred frankes / he sholde al nyght/ Haue hire in his armes / bolt vpright/ And this acord / |per|fourned was in dede In myrthe al nyght/ a bi{s}y lyf they lede
{{Folio 208r}}
Til it was day / that daun |Iohan| wente his way And bad the meynee / fare wel haue good day ffor noon of hem / ne no wight in the town Hath of daun |Iohan| / right no su{s}pecioun And forth he rydeth hom / til his Abbeye Or where hym li{s}t/ namoore of hym I seye ¶This Marchant/ whan |þt| ended was the faire To Seint Denys / he gan for to repaire And with his wyf / he maketh fe{s}te and cheere And telleth hi|re| / that chaffare is so deere That nedes / mo{s}te he make a cheuy{ss}ance ffor he was bounden / in a recony{ss}ance To paye/ twenty thou{s}and sheeld anon ffor which / this Marchant/ is to Parys gon To borwe / of |cer|teyne freendes / that he hadde A |cer|teyn frankes / and s|om|me |with| hym he ladde And whan |þt| he was come / in to the town ffor greet chiertee / and greet affeccioun Vn to daun |Iohan| / he fir{s}t goth / hym to pleye Nat for to axe / or borwe of hym moneye But for to wite / and {s}een of his welfare And for to tellen hym / of his chaffare As freendes doon / whan they been met yfeere Daun |Iohan| / hym maketh fe{s}te / and murye cheere And he hym tolde agayn / ful specially How he hadde / wel yboght/ and |gra|ciou{s}ly Thanked be god / al hool his marchandi{s}e Saue |þt| he mo{s}te / in alle maner wy{s}e Maken a cheuy{ss}ance / as for his be{s}te And thanne / he sholde been / in ioye and re{s}te ¶Daun |Iohan| an{s}werde / certes I am fayn That ye in heele / ar comen hom agayn And if |þt| I were riche / as haue I bli{ss}e Of twenty thou{s}and sheeld / sholde ye nat my{ss}e ffor ye {s}o kyndely / this oother day Lente me gold / and as I kan and may I thanke yow / by god / and by Seint Iame But nathelees / I took vn to oure dame Yowre wyf at hom / the same gold agayn Vp on youre bench / she woot it wel certayn
{{Folio 208v}}
By |cer|teyn toknes / that I kan yow telle Now by youre leue / I may no lenger dwelle Oure Abbot/ wol out of this town anon And in his compaignye / moot I gon Greet wel oure dame / myn owene Nece swete And fare wel deere co{s}yn / til we meete ¶This Marchant/ which |þt| was ful war and wys Creanced hath / and payed eek in Parys To |cer|teyn lombardes / redy in hir hond The somme of gold / and gat of hem his bond
¶{.}i{.} obligacionem
And hoom he gooth / murye as a Papyniay ffor wel he knew / he {s}tood in swich array That nedes mo{s}te he wynne / in that viage A thou{s}and frankes / abouen al his co{s}tage ¶His wyf ful redy / mette hym at the gate As she was wont/ of old v{s}age algate And al that nyght/ in myrthe they bi{s}ette ffor he was riche / and cleerly out of dette ¶Whan it was day / this Marchant gan embrace His wyf al newe / and ki{s}te hi|re| on hir face And vp he goth / and maketh it ful tough Namoore quod she / by god ye haue ynough And wantownely agayn / with hym she pleyde Til at the la{s}te / this Marchant seyde ¶By god quod he / I am alitel wroth With yow my wyf / al thogh it be me looth And woot ye why / by god as |þt| I ge{ss}e That ye han maad / a manere strangene{ss}e Bitwixen me / and my co{s}yn Daun |Iohan| Ye sholde han warned me / er I had gon That he yow hadde / a hundred frankes payed Be redy tokne / and heeld hym yuele apayed ffor that I to hym / spak of cheuy{ss}ance Me semed so / as by his contenance But nathelees / by god oure heuene kyng/ I thoghte nat/ to axe of hym no thyng/ I pray thee wyf/ ne do namoore so Tel me alwey / er that I fro thee go If any dettour / hath in myn ab{s}ence Ypayed thee / le{s}t thurgh thy necligence
{{Folio 209r}}
I myghte hym axe / a thyng/ |þt| he hath payed ¶This wyf / was nat afered ne afrayed But boldely she seyde / and that anon Marie I diffye / the fal{s}e Monk/ daun |Iohan| I kepe nat of his toknes / ne|uer| a del He took me |cer|teyn gold / this woot I wel What yuel thedam / on his Monkes snowte ffor god it woot/ I wende with outen dowte That he hadde yeue it me / by cau{s}e of yow To doon ther with / myn honour / and my prow ffor co{s}ynage / and eek for bele cheere That he hath had / ful ofte tymes heere ¶But sith I se / it stant in this di{s}ioynt/ I wole an{s}were yow / shortly to the poynt/ Ye han mo slakker dettours / than am I ffor I wol paye yow / wel and redily ffro day to day / and if {s}o be I fayle I am youre wyf / score it vp on my tayle And I shal paye / as {s}oone as euere I may ffor by my trouthe / I haue on myn array And nat in wa{s}t/ bi{s}towed e|uer|y del And for I haue / bi{s}towed it {s}o wel ffor youre honour / for goddes sake I seye As be nat wrooth / but lat vs laughe |&| pleye Ye shal / my ioly body han to wedde By god / I wol noght paye yow but abedde fforgyue it me / myn owene spou{s}e deere Turn hiderward / and maketh bettre cheere ¶This Marchant/ saugh / ther was no remedye And for to chide / it nere but folye Syn that the thyng/ may nat amended be Now wyf he seyde / and I foryeue it thee But by thy lyf/ ne be namoore {s}o large Keep bet thy good / this yeue {^}{{I}} thee in charge Thus endeth my tale / and god vs sende Taillynge ynough / vn to oure lyues ende
¶Here endeth / the Shipmannes tale
